The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention(s). It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art, or material, to the presently described or claimed inventions, or that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of devices aircraft engine protection and more specifically relates to a device used for obstructing the entry of birds and other foreign objects into aircraft jet engines.
2. Description of the Related Art
Airplanes are used in modern society to efficiently transport individuals between locations. Airplane accidents may be caused by collisions with birds and other air-born objects. A risk of engine damage exists when a bird's flight path intersects with that of an airplane. Birds often migrate to suit the climate they can best survive in. Often birds migrate in flocks such that they may be difficult to avoid. The bird(s) may get pulled into the engine turbine from the tremendous vacuum forces of the air being sucked into the turbines or propellers. This may cause serious damage to the engine, an extreme expense and potentially may result in the airplane crashing. Airplane crashes may be dangerous to human passengers. Further, investigations and law suits brought about by crashed may also be expensive and a large burden on various agencies.
The aerospace industry may be required to spend extremely large sums of money each year in direct costs, such as engine and maintenance repairs. Other exorbitant amounts of money may be funneled into indirect costs, such as delays, aircraft changes, fuel costs, and unscheduled maintenance. Airplane engines can incur significant damage while in operation. Birds, dust, hail, and other items and elements may fly into engines, creating obstructions that prevent the engines from functioning. This can lead to mid-flight engine failure, which may result in crashes, injured passengers, lost lives, and large direct and indirect fees. A feasible solution is needed.
Various attempts have been made to solve the above-mentioned problems such as those found in U.S. Pat. And Pub. Nos. U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,879, U.S. Pat. No. 2,931,460, U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,824, U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,739, U.S. Pat. No. 6,138,950, U.S. Pat. No. 3,426,981, U.S. Pat. No. 3,302,395, U.S. Pat. No. 6,598,384, 2010/0270427; U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,121,545, 5,411,224, 2,553,512, 2,928,497, 3,871,844, 4,149,689, and 7,803,204. This prior art is representative of protective deflectors for airplane engines. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the invention as claimed.
Ideally, an aircraft safety device system should require minimal maintenance, not dramatically impede airflow through the turbine(s) and/or propeller and yet, operate reliably and be manufactured at a modest expense. Thus, a need exists for an aircraft safety device to deflect birds, objects, and other debris thereby preventing damage from occurring to airplane engines and to avoid the above-mentioned problems.